1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates generally to antenna and transceiver systems and, more particularly, to systems that are directed to aircraft installations.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exists a substantial demand for antenna and transceiver systems that can rapidly hop between channels that are distributed over wide frequency bands for the purpose of communicating a variety of communication signals (e.g., voice, data, imagery and video). Although some conventional transceiver systems have operated across restricted frequency ranges, they do not generally satisfy the need for systems that have an extended range (e.g., from 30 MHz to upper limits in the 1 to 2 GHz range). Such extended frequency ranges have been difficult to achieve with a single system, especially when the antenna form factor must also satisfy the aerodynamic and radiative restraints of high speed aircraft.